Welcome back to the latest edition of “Storytelling Through Sound,” a series of editorials dedicated to the analysis of the major musical themes from every Zelda game. After a short, monthlong hiatus, we’re back to tackle my personal favorite musical moments in Zelda history: the Demon Dragon theme, as well as the so-called “Final Fall” theme from Tears of the Kingdom.

(The Tears of the Kingdom soundtrack has not received an official release, so an official track list is not yet available.)

Tears of the Kingdom is a game full of gravitas. The stakes are high, and there’s an air of urgency to the entire game. The world of Hyrule is truly at stake, and you can feel it in this title. To accompany such an epic quest, a game needs an epic final boss battle. In the last edition (which you can find here), we covered the final duel against Ganondorf, but in this edition, we’ll be covering his final form: the Demon Dragon. Needless to say, there are MAJOR spoilers ahead for Tears of the Kingdom, so if you have yet to slay the Demon King, come back when you’re victorious!

 

Phase One: The Demon King’s Transformation

After defeating the Demon King Ganondorf in his final phase, he remains exasperated, but still determined. After a moment of deliberation, Ganondorf decides that his campaign is no longer to shroud the world in darkness; his new goal is to destroy the swordsman known as Link. In a final act of desperation, the once powerful king removes the Zonai Secret Stone from his forehead and plunges it into his mouth. Thus, Ganondorf begins his transformation into an eternal dragon.

It is during this cutscene that we get an incredibly ethereal yet menacing piece of music in the game. Once Ganondorf completes his transformation, he flies up and out of the Depths, and we get a replay of the dragon transformation theme (2:50) heard in the Dragon Tear cutscene where Princess Zelda undergoes the exact same transformation. It’s also heard incredibly softly in the third and final trailer for the game, which was a fun little reference that none of us saw coming.

The cool part of this version of the theme is that, instead of being played by only an erhu, this arrangement is played by the low brass section of an orchestra, with some piano interruptions. The change in instrumentation between this version and the previous versions alters the tone of the moment. The first time the melody is played, we feel a sense of majesty and awe at the transformation. In this version, we are greeted by a similar sense of wonder, but the brass generates an impending sense of doom. Ganondorf’s transformation is beautiful, but it could mean danger for the people of Hyrule.

After this, we are flown into the sky, where we see the Demon Dragon in all his glory, and we are greeted with a very menacing version of “Inside Ganon’s Castle” from Ocarina of Time played by a full brass section. This moment is meant to once again strike fear into a listener’s heart. The combination of this theme, as well as the complicated background figures, is meant to set you off balance and make you feel uncomfortable.

We are then greeted by a shot of the Light Dragon coming to our rescue accompanied by a very interesting arrangement of “Zelda’s Lullaby,” with the accompaniment from the theme that plays whenever you greet a dragon in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. This is a super interesting choice, as someone could technically go through the entire game without knowing the identity of the Light Dragon, although the music points to her true identity. This musical scene breaks the tension that was built up by Ganon’s theme, and gives us a breath of relief. We can still fight this fight, and win.

After this, we get an epic orchestral swell with an erhu taking the lead, playing the opening interval from the Tears of the Kingdom main theme. Once the music comes to a climax, we get an epic shot of Link brandishing the Master Sword atop the Light Dragon, and the final showdown begins.

 

Phase Two: Demon Dragon Face Off

This next phase goes off with an emotional bang, if you weren’t emotional already. The string section of the orchestra plays this amazing fanfare for a few seconds, and then the brass explodes onto the scene, playing the odd string melody from the scene where Link jumps to the Sky Islands for the very first time at the beginning of the game. If it wasn’t clear who the Light Dragon was before, the fanfare that the brass plays after this drives it home.

We are greeted by an incredibly loud and epic iteration of “Zelda’s Lullaby” which gives us a staunch reminder that this fight is for her, wherever she’s gone. This fanfare reignites the hero’s purpose. An important thing to note about the composition of this final fight is that there isn’t a single melody or harmonic sound that hasn’t been heard previously. All of the themes used in this fight are recaps from throughout the game, re-arranged to fit the gravity of this particular battle.

After the opening fanfare, we get into the main loop of the fight. This main battle theme is pretty simple; it’s an upbeat version of the main theme for Tears of the Kingdom, with the main melody being carried by a duet between an alto saxophone and an erhu. It’s got this amazing piano groove behind it, and it feels so triumphant, while still feeling urgent. We are saving the world, after all. Once the main theme climaxes with the orchestra, we get a not-so-subtle reminder that we are still fighting the legendary Ganondorf, as his theme returns with the full orchestra to show us who’s boss.

After the first phase of the fight ends, the music ramps up even more, with the second section of the song being replayed by the orchestra in a brand new key. Underneath this main melody, the French horns play “Zelda’s Lullaby” underneath it all. This increase in intensity continues to build tension as the fight comes to a climax, constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat. All of the different melodies playing at once reminds you of all the things you’re fighting for.

After this epic swell, and after you’ve finally taken out all of the spots on the dragon’s back, the music actually dies down. As Link stands poised and ready to deliver the final blow, the music is being played by the upper string voices, as well as the high woodwinds. This section also brings back the melody from the initial jump that started the boss fight. This is it. After all of your trials and tribulations, after all of the work is done, you’re here, bidding the Demon King farewell for the last time. Once Link delivers the final blow, the fighting is over.

 

Phase Three: The Catch of the Century

After a short cutscene showing the Demon Dragon becoming a ridiculous fireball, and another showing Rauru and Sonia turning Zelda back into a human, we’re left with one final loose end to tie up. How in the world are Zelda and Link going to get back to the ground? The answer, unfortunately, is gravity. By the time Link wakes up to realize that he’s falling, the music has started, and we’re greeted with an unedited version of the introduction to Tears of the Kingdom‘s main theme. After the short intro, we get an incredibly energetic fanfare edition of the opening interval to the main theme, with an awesome trumpet solo soaring over the whole arrangement.

As we dive closer to the princess, the music moves up in pitch, and we get an even more intense arrangement of “Zelda’s Lullaby.” The dive continues as the orchestra ramps up, and once Link finally closes in on the Princess, we get another shift upward in pitch as the orchestra delivers an amazing rendition of the first few notes of the original Legend of Zelda theme, which is rarely ever used in these two games. The music keeps the tension high, and with three final notes and the sound of Link and Zelda’s hands clasping together, we’ve done it. The Princess is safe in our arms, and the game is over.

The reuse of these themes, as well as how many melodies and background figures are playing at once, is meant to keep that energy moving forward. The music is soaring, just as Link is, towards the final moments of the game. Musically, there’s no mistaking the tension that is built by this part of the game. Those last three notes right before you catch her eliminate that tension, as all of the instruments are all playing the same note in unison. No one is sticking out, and there is no dissonance. There’s no mistaking it; this is the ever-climactic ending you’ve been working towards for the entire game.

 

Conclusion

In the grand scheme of things, the final boss serves as a way to ramp up the final bit of intensity left in the game’s story. To complement this, the music must also ramp up intensity, and I think that these last few bits of music wrap things up beautifully. The musical textures and the call-backs to earlier in the game pull the tension to a climax, and it’s incredibly rewarding to get those final three notes and finish the game overall. If you’re a music theory nerd like me, or if you want to hear about the theory of the final tracks in the game, YouTube user 8-Bit Music Theory has a wonderful analysis of the game’s ending sequence that you can find here.

There are other games in the Zelda franchise that have amazing final boss themes, but the true majesty of these last few themes is what puts them on top for me. Along with the music, this final sequence feels like it has such weight to it. There’s a purpose here, and it’s not just to “slay the evil;” it’s to save the world.

What do you think of the music of the end sequence in Tears of the Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below!

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